Remarkably clever and funny despite its target age group. Four or five genuine belly laughs in a 32 page book meant for children is a really remarkablRemarkably clever and funny despite its target age group. Four or five genuine belly laughs in a 32 page book meant for children is a really remarkable thing....more

David H. Burton's Scourge has pretty much everything going for it that it needs to be great in scienc(Cross-posted to my sci-fi blog, Android Dreamer)

David H. Burton's Scourge has pretty much everything going for it that it needs to be great in science fiction and fantasy: strong characters, creative world building, interesting fantasy races, strong writing, solid dialogue, and something interesting to bring to the table. And if one were to judge a book by its cover, this would win every award. It is a lovely looking book. This sounds like the beginning of something great, but unfortunately it doesn't quite get there. It is lacking in something that, most would agree, is enormously important in making a book like this work: an engaging plot.

The story essentially follows Grim, a young boy and son of two men who has a fairly normal life until his is whisked away into a faraway steampunky fantasy land. The world is in the midst of a civil war, and there are many alien interesting races. Some of them will be familiar to people who have read a lot of fantasy, but there are some originals too, and I applaud that. Most interesting about he world are the steampunkish cybernetic implants that many of the inhabitants of the world have. I love the melding of steampunk tech with elves and dryads and the like. It gives a very distinct and quite original feel to the world of the story. That being said, I have an issue with how he gets there.

There are many cases where a fantasy trope is used over and over again because it is a great way to tell a story, but I think that it was a bit of a misstep to have Grim and family appear in this other world rather than just starting the story there. When you think of children's and young adult literature in fantasy and science fiction, chances are that the first series that come to mind are Harry Potter and The Chronicles of Narnia. In Harry Potter, Harry goes to a wizarding world that, although on his planet, he didn't know existed. In Narnia, the kids are magically teleported to Narnia through the wardrobe. It is a really overused way of getting the story where it needs to go. I understand the practicality; it makes sense that if your character is experiencing a world for the first time, it is easier to teach the reader about the world, but it's such an overused idea that I feel like has gone stale just needs to be retired.

The story itself never managed to grab me throughout. Although I was into the world, it never really got anywhere in terms of the plot moving along in any interesting sort of way. It took until about the halfway point for anything to materialize, and by that point half the book was gone and there wasn’t enough time for me to be interested. Unfortunately, this made my overall experience less than satisfying. That being said, I still think there is a chance for a good story here. The world is great, and I would be willing to read the next book in the series because I think Burton IS capable of writing something great. His prose is above average and he has done a good job of world building, I just don’t think this story was the right one....more

I don't really think Gaiman's best work is in his short stories. Although there are some good points here and there, Gaiman's strength is when he hasI don't really think Gaiman's best work is in his short stories. Although there are some good points here and there, Gaiman's strength is when he has the opportunity to stick with characters and a world for hundreds of pages. This is hardly a bad collection, but I would much rather read one of his novels....more

Most novels that are considered classics by the literary community have something to say. For the life of me, I can't figure out what Stevenson has toMost novels that are considered classics by the literary community have something to say. For the life of me, I can't figure out what Stevenson has to say in "Treasure Island" aside from perhaps "pirates are awesome." The problem is that by the end of the book, there is nothing here to actually convince me that pirates are indeed awesome. If you go into this book as young one who is impressionable and thinks everyone is great, or if you already think pirates are pretty awesome, you will probably really like this book. If you are like me and are generally nonplussed by pirates, then you will probably be nonplussed by this book. Coincidentally, this is the third time I've read a book on my father-in-law's recommendation, and the third time it turned out that I didn't really care for the book. I think I have finally learned my lesson. This isn't as offensively bad as his other recommendations (see the poetry of Seamus Heaney, and "The Power of One" by Bryce Courtenay) but is certainly not for me....more

With the second volume managing to be as brilliant as the first, I think "Mouse Guard" may be my favorite fantasy series ever, and one of my favoritesWith the second volume managing to be as brilliant as the first, I think "Mouse Guard" may be my favorite fantasy series ever, and one of my favorites in graphic novels. Petersen's art is outstanding, gorgeous, beautiful... I really can't say enough about it. Although the characters all kind of blended together in the first volume, "Winter 1152" sees some character development among the main mice, and continues on the road of wonderful world building. The hardcover is worth it for the bonus material in the back of the book alone. I can definitely see myself re-reading this series very often....more

Although I wasn't quite as enraptured by Coraline as I had been by The Graveyard book, it is still a sweet book and a lot of fun. I could definitely sAlthough I wasn't quite as enraptured by Coraline as I had been by The Graveyard book, it is still a sweet book and a lot of fun. I could definitely seeing a 10 year old thinking this was just about the coolest thing since sliced bread. It is full of charm, and the illustrations are also quite lovely. Its really remarkable how Gaiman manages to continue writing classics in young adult books, graphic novels, and adult literature. His versatility is unparalleled. ...more

As a fan of Roald Dahl's children's books from when I myself was a young one, I was interested when my wife recommended me "Boy." Its a short and lighAs a fan of Roald Dahl's children's books from when I myself was a young one, I was interested when my wife recommended me "Boy." Its a short and light read, as far as autobiographies go.

It is full of cute little stories about Dahl's childhood, mostly revolving around major pranks he managed to pull off as a kid. One lovely scene tells the story of Dahl and friends putting a dead mouse in a jar of sweets at a store run by an unfriendly old lady.

The part I found most intriguing about the story, however, is the awful conditions that children had to go through in the school systems of 1920s and 30s England. The teachers portrayed in Dahl's book are absolutely vicious people who beat the holy heck out of children at the drop of a hat. Makes me glad to have grown up in an era where this sort of thing is not only frowned upon, its illegal.

As to be expected, Dahl's prose is very good. He writes nicely with good imagery and a knack for making things smooth and easy to understand. There is no pretension in his writing, and it is refreshing. It's not a fantastic book by any stretch, but it was certainly good, and worth a read, especially as a cautionary tale: If you travel back in time, don't go to boarding school in the 1920s and 30s. ...more